


Dage is the best!

by Ziane



Category: Founder of Diabolism, The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: A glimpse of their past, Big Brother Nie Mingjue, Brotherly Bonding, Foreshadowing, Gen, Smol Nie Huaisang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-29 23:22:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18303830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ziane/pseuds/Ziane
Summary: After a hard day of training, Nie Mingjue and the Qinghe Nie Sect disciples head back to the Nie Residence.





	Dage is the best!

**Author's Note:**

> [This](https://twitter.com/jack_mado/status/1111669666722787328?s=21) beautiful art inspired this fic.  
> Please, give them love! ˭̡̞(◞⁎˃ᆺ˂)◞*✰

Unusual for the weather of the mountainous Qinghe, the relentless summery sun of a late afternoon shines over the already exhausted disciples. They’ve been training since early in the morning when the sun seeping behind the snowy peaks that will melt soon upon the summer’s arrival was barely visible. Nie Mingjue grins at the row of disciples ready to head back to the family residence; scattered over the training ground, some still standing, some collapsed, others finishing the last reserves of water.

Sheathing his saber, Nie Mingjue inhales the heavy atmosphere, already missing the wintery breeze after a training session, and revels in the sore muscles after the exertions of the day. He likes to push a tad further every time, to feel the improvement in his spiritual energy, and the boost of strength in his attacks. Today, he has earned a well-deserved meal. “Let’s go back.” At his order, his fellow disciples swiftly stand, lured more for the promise of a hot meal than fear, or perhaps, a dose of both. It wouldn’t be the first time Nie Mingjue makes them stay until dusk for another round of grueling training. Nevertheless, they all know what the Qinghe Nie Sect stands for.

The walk down the training ground is through a gentle slope that offers comfort to those with wobbly legs. Nie Mingjue is at the head of the party, smug and satisfied. At his sixteen years old, he’s taller and burlier than those of his age. He has to be, with his father recovering from an accident in the last night-hunt in which his sword shattered to pieces unexpectedly, and the sect relying on him when he’s already so young. A deep furrow settles between his brows at the ocean of responsibilities that loom over his shoulders, but a short figure running toward him as if he were a fawn scouting the woods vanishes all the worries lurking his mind.

“Dage!” Beaming at him, Nie Huaisang shouts, his short legs struggling to close the distance between them.

His little half-brother, Nie Huaisang, brightens his life and warms his heart. Since he met him, tiny and crying against his mother’s bosom, and he grasped his forefinger with fragile little fingers, his eyes opened wide and Nie Mingjue swore to protect his brother until his death. His hand rests on the crown of his head as Nie Huaisang hugs his thighs. He almost reaches his stomach now, how much he has grown up! Although the path to the training field is long an arduous, every other day, Nie Huaisang climbs the mountain, eager to see his big brother and spend more time with him.

“Mother said I could come to find you,” the little one says with a big grin. “Look!” His hand lifts and waves a small folding fan in front of his face. Nie Huaisang opens it a bit sloppily, smiling at the satisfying noise it makes and then closing it shut again. “Mother gave it to me.”

Nie Mingjue shakes his head, suppressing a snort as they resume with new smiles the stroll toward the house. Overjoyed, Nie Huaisang trots in circles around him, swaying his new folding fan and singing songs he makes up in his mind. Perhaps at his ten years old, he shouldn’t indulge in such childish behavior, but soon he’ll start training and subjugating the saber like every disciple from their sect must. _Sweet, summer child_ , Nie Mingjue thinks to himself. _Let him be. Just another summer._

Sprinting down the slope, the breeze fanning the apples of his cheeks, Nie Huaisang giggles but loses his smile as he trips on a protruding rock in the pathway. “A-Sang!” He tumbles over his hands and knees, it wasn’t a bad fall but still, his eyes go bleary and his lower lip quivers. In two strides, Nie Mingjue crouches gracefully at his side. “You’re fine.” He pats his back.

And he is, until Nie Huaisang sees his folding fan. Tears well in his eyes and trickle down his dusty cheeks at the sight of a torn leaf, and a broken bamboo rib. It’s ruined! Not minding the grazed knees or the tiny pebbles still sticking to his hands, Nie Huaisang tries to close the broken, precious object to no avail. It’ll never be the same. “Dage…” pleading eyes glace at his big brother, but Nie Mingjue chuckles and wipes away the tears from his eyes with his thumb, but all he manages is to smear dirt along with the salty droplets. Seems like they’ll both need a bath upon arrival.

“Don’t look at it anymore,” he says, taking the delicate fan and keeping it in his sleeve. “Can you walk?” Nie Huaisang sobs, not convinced at all, but when his brother stands and hooks his strong hands underneath his armpits he sobs again and shakes his head while two big droplets come out of his swollen eyes.

“I’m a big boy now!” The seriousness of his claim is only hindered by the slight quivering of his chin. Nie Mingjue harvests all his will not to laugh out loud in the spot.

“My back it is, then.” Crouching again, he beckons Nie Huaisang to climb on his back.

Even if he’s weary and sweaty, the weight feels comforting, but the tears pouring down his eyes weight heavy on his heart. Nie Huaisang clings to him tightly, almost squeezing his neck and surely still mourning his broken folding fan. Nie Mingjue sighs. How unfortunate to see that sweet smile vanish upon an unfortunate fall.

“Sing me a song,” he says, bouncing Nie Huaisang to cheer him up.

“No.” He hides in the crook of his neck and sobs. Seems like getting a smile from his little brother will be harder than expected.

“You’re getting heavier, A-Sang!” Nie Mingjue teases, spotting the outer border of the residence in the distance. Some disciples get ahead, walking faster at the sight of their destination and the promised hot meal and rest. “You know that means you’re getting stronger?”

“Does it?” Huaisang sniffs and cleans his nose on his sleeve.

“If you train every day, you will be stronger than me!”

Now it’s his little brother’s turn to snort. “Pfft, that’s impossible, dage!”

Between playful jests and brotherly teasing, they arrive at home and go straight to take a bath and dine. The fall is long forgotten, and so is the hand fan until his mother puts Nie Huaisang to sleep and Nie Mingjue sneaks for a mandatory visit. If he doesn’t come, his little brother sneaks into his room and demands him to check there are no monsters under his bed and that his lamp will stay on for as long as he falls asleep. So far, Nie Mingjue carries on with his duty like a prideful big brother.

He finds him tucked in bed. “Did you throw it away?” Nie Huaisang asks and yawns loudly. Nie Mingjue smiles tenderly, brushing his hair and kissing his forehead. He demands no tales tonight, his heavy lids cover his eyes, and he’s asleep in seconds before he can formulate an answer.

The next morning, Nie Mingjue wakes up earlier than expected, startled by Nie Huaisang who jumps onto his bed and screams possessed by a surge of joy. “Dage!” He opens his eyes a slit only to see his little brother clutching to something as if it was a treasure. A throaty chuckle comes out of him. “You fixed it!”

In an unnecessary demonstration, Nie Huaisang flicks his wrist and the folding fan opens with the same satisfying snap it did before it came apart. Nie Mingjue, indeed, rearranged the whole thing with a small patch -clearly visible- and too much resin to hold it together, but Nie Huaisang doesn’t seem to mind, he even thinks it’s more perfect now that his big brother has fixed it for him.

Nie Mingjue only stops him from squirming around by tickling his tummy, eliciting a sweet sounding chortle from his brother. “Ah… since you’re awake and in such a good mood…” Nie Huaisang stays stock still and holds his breath. “Does this mean you will come to the training field with me today?”

“No!” Nie Huaisang hides under the covers, his voice muffled by the bedding. “No training!” Nie Mingjue laughs and pats him to make him come out. “One day I’ll have a room full of fans,” he says, his cheeks flustered by the sprint toward his brother’s room as soon as he saw the folding fan resting on the nightstand. “But this one will be special, and I’ll keep it forever.”

“Humph, you better have a room full of swords,” Nie Mingjue chides and prods the tip of his nose. “To keep you safe.”

“Uh-uh,” Nie Huaisang effusively shakes his head. “I have you, dage!”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧
> 
> After writing ["Fear of the Dark"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18190085) I wanted more Nie brothers being cute xDD


End file.
